The Fast Identity Online Alliance, an industry consortium launched in 2013 to change online security with open standards for simpler, stronger authentication, today announced that NTT Docomo has joined the board of directors. With this announcement, NTT Docomo becomes the first mobile network operator to join the FIDO Alliance board.

The alliance also announced that NTT Docomo is the world's first mobile network operator to deploy FIDO authentication throughout its network, delivering authentication for Docomo's millions of customers on recently announced mobile devices.

Docomo's devices and services achieve several milestones for the FIDO ecosystem, including the first carrier billing system enabled by FIDO authentication, the first federated identity system to integrate FIDO authentication, the first mobile services ecosystem to launch with multiple FIDO-certified devices, and the first mobile device to offer FIDO privacy compliant iris biometric authentication, according to a press release.

"Today is a historic day for the FIDO Alliance, as NTT Docomo is not only our newest board member, they are the world's first mobile network operator to deploy FIDO authentication," said alliance president Dustin Ingalls. "We enthusiastically welcome NTT Docomo to the FIDO Alliance board of directors and recognize their outstanding accomplishment in bringing to market another innovation — FIDO authentication — greatly improving their customer experience and end-to-end security."